When an opponent is reduced to ten men in the 11-a-side format, experts often say there is a psychological effect on teams, making it more difficult to find a way to defeat their opposition. The AS/GCSE team experienced this last night in an exaggerated form. David Game College started the game with only 5 players against AS/GCSEs 8. Even primary school mathematicians would be able to tell you that that is quite an advantage. It was an advantage however, which the Reds could not make the most of. A truly harrowing 15 minute period at the commencement of last night’s game, where a mixture of slack passing, time-wasting, excellent goalkeeping and some of the worst decision making in front of goal one could ever have the misfortune to see meant that when the David Game cavalry arrived, the score stood at 1-1. I’m sure many readers are scratching their heads, asking how such a scenario could be possible. I’m glad. I was doing exactly the same, whilst shaking my head in disbelief.

Perhaps it was bewilderment at the strange scene at the start of the game, or merely panic, but the reds had chance after chance after chance at the start – Enver, Isaga and Kai all guilty of not putting the ball in the net when perhaps it was easier to do so. Finally Isaga notched a rebound, poking home to settle some nerves. Ealing should really have been out of sight by now, but they weren’t and they were made to pay. Even three-on-one breakaways were not taken advantage of – a poor pass always undoing David Game’s frailties at the back. In a rare foray into the Ealing half, a David Game midfielder handballed, but the ref believed that he had been fouled when doing so. It was a good distance out so should not have raised many alarm bells in the Ealing defence. A slipshod wall was built to defend the impending shot, which deflected off a gap, and beat the completely deceived Sultan in goal. The AS/GCSE team should have shrugged this off, but they tried to force the game, and got nowhere. Three substitutions were hastily made, but by now the rest of the poorly organised David Game team arrived to restore parity. A ridiculous two minute spell of time-wasting ensued before the sides struggled to half time. Georges had a decent shot on the turn which hit the post, but that was the best they could manage.

Told by their coach to keep a close eye of the tricky David Game number three along with their short winger, the side completely forgot to follow the basics of marking at a corner. Played in deep, a man in green crept around the back and headed the ball to an unmarked man in front of goal. He dispatched it with aplomb to give David Game the lead. The Ealing side started to turn on each other, moaning when they were not passed to or when a shot was hit wide for what seemed like the hundredth time. The less said about the remaining 10 minutes, the better. There was no urgency, no quality, no understanding and perhaps most gallingly no communication as a ragged performance reached its end. The only thing left to highlight was extremely poor sportsmanship by David Game, who time wasted, argued with the referee and generally made a mess of the end of the game. They deserve credit for winning from the position they did, but the way they did so was, at times, quite unsavoury and not at all in the spirit of the league.

Man of the match – Acil. Gave everything in challenges and held a ragged defence together.

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